Unconventional wisdom

What would you have to do, to Lose the big game? Considering the opposite of things helps you see and avoid false moves.

When it comes to corporate communications, I’ve learned that getting the core messaging right requires looking at the problem backward.

Before creating, I use an inversion exercise. I ask companies what makes their solution unique and then drill down to find out the real benefits and unique features… and to find out what would make things not unique.

The concept of “inversion” is simple. You look at the situation from a different angle or perspective. Instead of thinking about the desired outcome, think about what you’d need to prevent that result from occurring. The inverse reveals the real benefits hiding in the generic claims.

This approach is powerful because it helps you identify roadblocks that aren’t always obvious at a glance. Inversion encourages you to think unconventionally, ask questions, and consider the totality of what you’re trying to achieve.

The idea goes back to Socrates, who used a technique called “elenchus” to challenge his students’ thinking and reveal contradictions. I always try to understand other points of view because it helps me clarify my own.

When everyone in a newsroom thinks alike, who sees the blind spots?

This strategy of considering the opposite can help eliminate barriers to finding creative solutions. It’s when all parties agree on one point of view, it can be difficult to explore the other side of a dilemma.

Take a few moments to turn off your phone, go off the Internet and make a list of the main points, even listing the key individual words pertinent to the topic. Get it all down.

Only when you’ve exhausted your thinking, search online for the conventional wisdom regarding the topic. The holes you expose in your thinking will become clearer, as will the ideas you came up with that others did not.

Japanese declutter genius Marie Kondo has a line I find helpful: “We should be choosing what we want to keep, not what we want to get rid of.”

This applies to both analog and digital effluvia, as well as corporate messaging. By identifying the features and benefits that make their solution unique — and eliminating what doesn’t — companies can create a clear and concise message that resonates with audiences.

Visualizing potential outcomes by ignoring the status quo or anticipating opposites helps you avoid the mistakes that could prevent success. These are countermoves, counterintuitive to many otherwise smart-thinking workers.

Using inversion, you can break away from your usual thinking. It’s when you begin to play with the contradictions that you start to see the possibilities you could never before have envisioned.